


Childhood Sweetfriends

by Rylonn



Category: Ever After High
Genre: Agender Character, Childhood Friends, Deaf Character, Gender Identity, Non-Romantic Relationship, POV Third Person Limited, Sign Language, Slow Build, self discovery, switching POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-10 21:15:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13509927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rylonn/pseuds/Rylonn
Summary: The Successors of the Monday and Saturday children knew each other before their destinies were even realised. One was chosen to live a life of hard work... while the other would be expected to be fair of face. An unfair deal? It didn't matter to Emmett and Justin. They were best friends, no matter their destinies.A story of growing up with a childhood friend, and changing. PoVs swap, but remain in third person.





	Childhood Sweetfriends

**Author's Note:**

> Emmett Saturday and Justin Monday are OCs owned by me for Ever After High. They are successors to the nursery rhyme "Monday's Child". You may find their pages here ( http://everafterhighfandom.wikia.com/wiki/Emmett_Saturday ) and here ( http://everafterhighfandom.wikia.com/wiki/Justin_Monday ).
> 
>  **Note:** I wish to put in a little word here. Justin is agender, using 'they' pronouns, however you will note this story starts with both PoVs using 'he' for them. This story goes through them growing up, including Justin discovering more about themselves. Just wanted to make that little point. I hope you enjoy.

Everyone knew Emmett White. You aren't a part of Chapter Village if you don't know this young 7 year old boy, who seems to be grinning at his crew. A pirate crew one may say, as the two followers salute their 'Captain'. Standing on top of the play-park set, Emmett sets his hands on his hips. His loyal crew members (read: friends) always listened to the adventures he had, unlike the adults. They just hummed and nodded, pretending to listen. Funny. Emmett knows better. He had seen the way his dad zoned out when his mum began a rant about work. He then saw it again when he'd tried to tell his dad about a frog he'd tried to catch! Disrespectful! Or maybe choosing the time when your dad is cooking dinner is a bad time to try and tell a story, but eh. Who cares? Not Emmett.

"Alright, mateys! We've been tasked with a difficult mission! It will be dangerous! There may be death, and I cannot promise you will both come back alive! I will, of course. I'm Captain White. I always come back alive." Emmett gives a big, toothy grin. A grin that has a gap on the bottom where Emmett had recently lost a tooth. His mum and dad had seemed so proud. He didn't know what all the fuss was about; still doesn't. It was just a tooth. And it had hurt! The money was nice though.

"Erm..."

"YES! My Second Mate Rickey!" Emmett turns his attention to one of his friends. Both boys are his friends, but in the way that a young child is friends with whoever is around. They are by no means best friends, but friends nonetheless, and Emmett is their fearless leader!

Ben Rickey seems to blink at Emmett before offering his own grin. "Nothing, Captain! I was simply worrying about dinner!"

"Dinner?" Emmett gives Ben an incredulous look, before looking at his Bird's Nest Watcher. Otherwise known as Andrew Cutler. For a moment, Emmett wonders if that's what those people are actually called. Are they called Bird's Nest Watchers? It... looks like a bird's nest. It's perched high and they watch... Why is he even doubting himself! Of course it's a Bird's Nest Watcher. Why did he ever doubt himself! "Watcher Cutler, answer me this! Do pirates care about dinner?"

Andrew is snickering away beside Ben, who is slowly getting redder and redder. So red that he may even challenge Emmett's hair for being the reddest thing around! Emmett is still grinning at them both, and they both likely know that Emmett is just playing. Of course Ben is talking about going home. They had been playing pirates for a long while, and were going to start their new adventures but Emmett figures it can wait. Bending his knees, he takes a jump off the play-set and lands with a thud and a stumble. Both Andrew and Ben take the moment to mock their freckled Captain.

"Alright, alright you... uh..." The word. What's the word? Oh! "Scroundrels! I definitely didn't forget that word." That earns him more giggles from the other two. "I'll see you both tomorrow, right? Bright and early! We have treasure to steal, lands to conquer and people to trick!" All in their imagination, of course. One should never underestimate a child. They stand and exchange goodbyes, leaving Emmett to wave a pale hand as Ben and Andrew walk home together. The village isn't big, but Emmett still lives on the other side. He hums quietly as he waits for them to turn the corner before he turns on his heels to leave himself.

Or he would be leaving if he hadn't found a bundle of brown hair in his face, and a person to walk into.

"Pirate Bennett, reporting for duty."

The boy in front of Emmett is a little shorter than himself, with a mop of fair brown hair, and quite possibly the most beautiful face he had ever seen. And he had seen his own face! Okay, that is a joke. Emmett doesn't think much of his own face. For his whole Captain shtick, he's pretty down-to-earth and likes to play it up a little. He doesn't even realising he's staring at this new kid until the very same kid starts going red in the face and fidgeting.

"Um... Sorry, I saw you doing a whole pirate thing, and it looked fun. I think I saw you say you were going home but... I wanted to say hi... You look... fun!"

Emmett is still silent, trying to place what's off about this kid. Looks normal. He's moving his hands as he speaks... Normal. Talks normal. Or... normal-ish. The wording choice seems odd... Odd... Saw you say... You don't see what someone says... right?

"Most people don't but I can't hear. Uh. Like... deaf. I was watching your lips. You speak fast though."

Emmett stares at the brunet, before coming to realise he had spoken out loud and clearly embarrassed himself. His face goes almost as red as his hair, practically hiding all the freckles that litter his cheeks. His hands slowly rub into his face and he lets out a low groan at himself for saying that to the other in front of him. Who... seems to just tilt his head curiously. Emmett isn't even sure if the other knows he's doing it, but it's cute, and it brings a wide smile to his face. "Would it help if I spoke slower? Oh, um, Emmett White. Me. That's my name."

"Justin Bennett." Justin. A cute name for a cute face clearly. "Talking slower helps, but you don't have to talk too slow. I'm still learning to lip read too, so forgive me if I don't pick up things... Like... um. Your name. Can you possibly write it down for me somewhere?" Write it down? Emmett doesn't have any paper, nor a pen or anything. Before he can say anything though, Justin has him covered and is holding out a notepad and pen. "Here." Where did he get... oh. He has a backpack. Emmett had been too focused on his face to realise. Oops. Taking the pen from the other's hand and then the notepad, the boys sit down on the ground as Emmett glances at the page. There are other words written on the page. A couple of other names, random words... some words that Emmett isn't sure how to say himself. Each word seems to be written with the letters dictated clearly though, so he takes his time in writing his name, and makes sure Justin will be able to read and spell it without a problem. The gesture gets a giggle from the other though, and Emmett glances up and watches as Justin's hands move while he talks. "You don't have to be so careful." For a moment, Emmett thinks he might have wronged Justin, but the smile reassures him and he finishes it with writing his name normally beside the neat version. "Okay, maybe you were right. How do the teachers read your writing?"

Emmett also laughs a little, but he's glad. He's made a new friend. He waits patiently for Justin to turn the notepad around fully, and take the time to read out the name on the paper. He reads it a couple of times. The first time is a little bit of a mess, and Emmett can't help but burst out laughing at the butchering of his name. After a couple of tries, Justin comes to the realisation that it's pronounced similar to his surname. The correct pronunciation has both grinning. "Emmett! Emmett White. Thank you. For being patient with me. I feel silly not realising it's probably said like my surname." Blue eyes focus on the light tanned hands as they move with the words again.

"Um... question..." Emmett glances back up to lock eyes with Justin's hazel ones which have been almost solely focused on him the whole time. "You move your hands while you talk. But it doesn't look like... Like how I move my hands. You move them differently." Emmett can't help but then bow his head in embarrassment for asking, before feeling awkward. He lifts his head again as he speaks, but doesn't look directly at Justin. "Sorry, I just wanted to know, you don't have to answer-"

Justin lets out a soft laugh and smiles widely, cutting Emmett's sentence short, and gaining another stare from the taller boy. He just watches as Justin moves his hands again. Then he stops. Then he starts again, but this time he's speaking. "It's sign language. When I'm learning, my teacher and parents try have me sign and speak at the same time, so I can speak the same amount in both. I kind of use them together since... I can't hear. I'd much rather just sign, because speaking is a little exhausting and embarrassing. You know I was trying to say your name? It gets very annoying being able to sign something, and even read someone's lips, but not knowing if the words that come out my mouth sound right. Usually I don't like getting things wrong, but you're a kid like me so it feels better. It feels worse with my teacher." His expression had shifted as he spoke, and Emmett can't help but reach out and then pat the top of the other's head softly. Silence falls between them and Emmett freezes up. Did he mess up? Does Justin dislike contact? He isn't sure. He just met this kid! His worries are dissipated though as his new friend lifts his face and gives Emmett a smile. "Do you want to learn some?"

"Of course." The words are out his mouth before he even considers the question, but he doesn't regret the answer.

**Author's Note:**

> So I hope you enjoyed this! As I said, I'm using 'he' for Justin as for now, but this will slowly change as Justin figures themselves out.


End file.
